Sergeant major portrayed in 'Generation Kill' faces child sex charges

Jul. 22, 2014 - 06:00AM
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Retired Sgt. Maj. John Joseph Sixta, the former top enlisted leader with 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, was arrested in Arizona on child molestation charges. Sixta was portrayed by actor Neal Jones in 'Generation Kill,' a seven-part HBO miniseries about the initial invasion of Iraq. (Yuma County Sheriff's Office)

A retired battalion sergeant major who was depicted in the HBO miniseries “Generation Kill,” was arrested in Yuma, Arizona, and charged with sex offenses involving a minor. It’s the second time in a month he has faced child sex abuse allegations.

Retired Sgt. Maj. John Joseph Sixta, the former top enlisted leader of 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, was taken into custody on July 2 and later hit with charges of sex abuse, child molestation and sexual conduct with a minor, according to Arizona court records. Details about the accusations were not immediately available, but the Yuma Sun newspaper reported that it involved a 12-year-old girl.

Sixta is currently being held without bond at the Yuma County jail, according to his attorney, Julie McDonald.

Sgt. Leanne Worthen, a Yuma Police Department spokeswoman, said the case involved one victim and took place at Sixta’s home in Yuma. The victim’s mother told police in January about the alleged crime after her child told her what had happened, Worthen said.

While the complaint was made in January, an arrest wasn’t made until July 1 because forensic evidence was being evaluated, she added.

In late June, Sixta faced charges for similar crimes in Riverside County, California, according to court documents there. Prosecutors charged Sixta with committing a lewd act on a child under 14 years old and a warrant was issued on June 25.

Details about those charges were not available and prosecutors did not immediately return requests for comment. Riverside is about 50 miles northeast of Camp Pendleton, where Sixta’s former battalion is headquartered.

Just before his arrest, Sixta worked for the Military Freefall School at the Yuma Proving Ground, an Army facility. He resigned on July 1, according to an Army Special Operations Command spokeswoman.

Sixta was played by actor Neal Jones in “Generation Kill,” a seven part HBO miniseries about the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion during the invasion of Iraq. His character is perhaps best known for telling a Marine to “police” his mustache, which he said was in violation of grooming standards. The series was well received by critics and was nominated for 11 Emmys, winning three.